General Description
Shell white, oval shape and surrounded by black muscular foot. Two black tentacles on the head. Shell up 10 cm long.
Biology
Elephant Snails emerge at night to graze on seaweeds. They were commonly eaten by Aboriginal people who cut away the black flesh to eat the muscular foot.
Habitat
In crevices and under boulders on rocky reefs.
Reefs
Coastal shores
Distribution guide
New Zealand and southern Australia.
Species Group
Sea snails and shells › Snails
Depth
Shore (0-1 m)
Shallow (1-30 m)
Water Column
Max Size
10 cm
Diet
Omnivore
Commercial Species
No
Global Dispersal
Recorded in Australia
Conservation Status
- DSE Advisory List : Not listed
- EPBC Act 1999 : Not listed
- IUCN Red List : Not listed
Author
Blair Patullo is Online Producer for marine projects at Museum Victoria.
Cite this page as:
Patullo, B., 2011, Elephant Snail, Scutus antipodes, in Taxonomic Toolkit for marine life of Port Phillip Bay, Museum Victoria, accessed 22 Dec 2024, http://136.154.202.208:8098/species/10945
